Helena Start-Up Program

The Shelwes Automatic Contour Sander is an auto body tool that conveniently fits in a standard air sander, and it automatically conforms to the curves of any type of car. It was invented in Helena, Arkansas, and is now being shipped across the country. Recently, Shelwes won two awards at the SEMA show in Las Vegas for new product innovation.

Reclaimed Helena creates furniture out of reclaimed building materials sourced from within the Delta while cleaning up neighborhoods and creating jobs in the process. A recent Kickstarter campaign helped RH successfully raise over $30,000 to be used for workers' salaries and the manufacturing of custom parts.

Established in 2011, T-Mac's Catfish Cabin & Delta BBQ is a family-owned restaurant specializing in BBQ and catfish dishes in the Arkansas tradition, as well as modern and adventurous riffs on old favorites.

THE HELENA START-UP PROGRAM works TO CREATe JOBS AND INCREASe QUALITY OF LIFE IN PHILLIPS COUNTY, ARKANSAS BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL TRAINING AND MARKETING DESIGN TO ENTREPRENEURS.

The Helena Start-Up Program (originally the Helena Entrepreneur Center) began as part of a plan for job creation in Phillips County, Arkansas, as found in the Phillips County Community Strategic Plan—an initiative created by the Delta Bridge Project that started as a five-year plan in 2005 and was renewed as a 10-year plan in 2010.

After performing a feasibility study, work began on developing an action plan to fund a program to offer technical assistance, tangible resources, and financial incentives in hopes of creating new, strong, small businesses in Phillips County. This plan came to fruition in July 2010 and was funded later that year by a grant for $186,000 over three years by the Walton Family Foundation.

A program designed by Thrive and made possible by a partnership with the Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas and a host of strategic partners locally, regionally, and nationally, the HelenaStart-Up Program continues to support the birth and growth of new businesses each year.

Goals for the Helena Start-Up Program:

Launch 11-14 businesses over a three-year period, with eight remaining viable after threeyears of activity